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|| the dynamics of life | ENVIRONMENT
How are polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
dangerous?
By degree of danger, medicine puts PCBs in a class with
dioxin, long known as a toxic agent. Finding their way into
people’s bodies, these persistent chemical compounds in-
crease by many times the risk of cancer, diabetes, and stroke,
lead to osteoporosis, lower testosterone levels in men, dam-
age the immune and neurological systems of the fetus, cause
neurodermatitis and eczema, impair memory, and decrease
mental alertness. And despite the fact that as early as 1979 it
was forbidden in our country to introduce these chemical com-
pounds into any kind of product, they still affect us negatively.
Where do the enemies hide?
By the time the ban came into effect, hundreds of millions
of pounds of PCBs had been produced that were used during
production of lubricants, condensers, power transformers, lac-
quers and paint, carbon copy paper, and various plastics. And
these chemically bound compounds are stable environmental
contaminants because they aren’t disposed of, but rather ac-
cumulate in the soil and in the water of lakes, rivers, and the
oceans and continue to evaporate into the air. They accumu-
late in living organisms—fish, birds, and other animals, includ-
ing us—and begin destroying them.
How to counter them?
To minimize the effect of PCBs that are stored and accu-
mulate in fatty tissue, try to keep your consumption of fatty
meat, farmed fish, and shellfish to a minimum.
How are Phthalates and bisphenol A—BPA, EDCs
dangerous?
These persistent chemical compounds are dangerous in
that they destroy the endocrine system, which prod uces the
hormones that regulate the work of all the tissues and organs
in our bodies. The presence of these harmful substances in
the body increases the risk of diabetes, high blood pressure,
cancer, and infertility, and leads to erectile dysfunction, wors-
ens vision, causes attention deficit disorder, lowers intelli-
gence... As with PCBs, the list goes on.
Where do the enemies hide?
In most cases, phthalates are used to make plastic more
flexible, transparent, and durable. It’s hard even to list the
groups of products that may contain phthalates. They are ad-
hesives, aromatic products, vinyl raincoats,window blinds,
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tablecloths, synthetic leather widely used in clothing and fur-
niture, sunglasses and glasses with plastic lenses, various
kinds of fillers and sealants, DVDs and CDs, product contain-
ers, plastic kitchen paraphernalia, and personal hygiene prod-
ucts such as soap, shampoos, moistening agents, hair
sprays, and nail polish. Bisphenol—another endocrine-de-
stroying chemical—is found in the lining of the containers of
many canned food products and drinks. Note that due to con-
sumer demand, many producers have switched from BPA to
BPS (bisphenol S), but there is no proof that it’s less toxic. It’s
only less studied.
How to counter them?
To minimize the effects of the phthalates and BPA, start
by not believing that there are any safe plastics. Never use a